The present invention relates to an optical member and a method for manufacturing of the optical member.
In JP H05-136952 A is disclosed an optical device (optical member) in which a base (fixation member) supporting a semiconductor laser element (light emitting member) and a lens barrel supporting a lens (light receiving member) are fixed to a holder (housing). In JP H05-136952 A, grooves are provided on a surface of the holder that is to be joined to the base, which is bonded by adhesive filled into the grooves.
In JP H05-273483 A, opening holes are formed on joint surfaces of a holder against a lens barrel and a base, and photocurable resin is filled into the holes, so that the lens barrel and the base are fixed to the holder. There is a limit, however, to a depth that light for curing the photocurable resin can reach. In the method for JP H05-273483 A, therefore, insufficient irradiation with the light of photocurable resin on surfaces of the lens barrel and the base may result in insufficient strength of the joining.
This optical member (or optical device) can be manufactured by placing a fixation member which supports a light emitting member or a light receiving member with a clearance between the fixation member and a housing, interposing the photocurable resin into the clearance so as to bridge the clearance, performing fine adjustment of a position of the fixation member within a range that allows maintenance of the bridging state of the photocurable resin, and irradiating the resin with a light to curie the photocurable resin so as to fix relative positions between the light emitting member and the light receiving member.
On condition that a quantity of the adjustment of the fixation member is large in the method, however, the photocurable resin may be flattened so as to have an increased diameter and the light for curing the resin may be hindered from reaching center part thereof. Immediately after the manufacture, it appears that uncured center part of the photocurable resin causes no problem as far as surfaces of the photocurable resin have been cured. The center part of the photocurable resin, however, is gradually cured by influence of natural light or the like after assembly. Common photocurable resin slightly contracts when being cured and thus causes a problem in that the uncured center part of the photocurable resin may result in a slight deviation in a positional relation between the light emitting member and the light receiving member in the optical member with elapse of time.